Lex Talionis
by Ranguvar27
Summary: When a friend of the Staynes suffers abuse at the hands of her husband, Stayne and Alannah teach him a lesson he will never forget. Title is Latin for "Law of Revenge."  Rated M for brief torture, and once more dedicated to Abducted By Eon Of Chronia
1. Chapter 1

Lex Talionis

Alannah rose slowly out of sleep to the sound of someone knocking frantically on the door to the cottage. For a heart stopping instant, she thought that something horrible had happened to Ilosivic or the children, but then her brain caught up with her heart. Stayne was sleeping next to her, his arm draped casually over her waist, and Katarina and Michael were snoring away in their room. She carefully slid out from underneath him, not wanting to disturb him, and grabbed his robe from the chair it laid across, wrapping it across her rather flimsy night gown. Stayne muttered her name, and then fell back into a deep sleep. Alannah smiled softly then went to answer the door.

She stared in slight bemusement at her visitor, a young woman of nearly twenty. She had the dress of a servant, and the hair that had escaped from under her cap was a dirty blonde. Her eyes were wide and scared, and she kept wringing her hands. Alannah spoke softly, not wanting to awaken anyone. "What's the matter?"

The girl jumped, and gazed at her with naked fear. "It's me Mistress, My Lady. You know Lady Sotherby?" At Alannah's nod, the girl continued. "She's in horrible shape, My Lady! She needs your help right away! Please, My Lady! You must come! Her Ladyship will die if you don't!"

Alannah nodded grimly. "Give me a moment to get dressed and get my potions." She ran inside, threw on her clothes, and grabbed a bottle of her healing potion from the Cupboard. She ran back outside. "I'm ready." The girl nodded, and led her towards the palace.

Lady Amanda Sotherby lived at Court, and her rooms were on the far end of the palace, away from the hustle and bustle. It had been her husband who demanded the rooms, and Mirana had seen no problem with it-Lord Aaron Sotherby liked the quiet life, he had told her. Alannah had met them only a handful of times, and every time she found herself actively disliking Lord Sotherby more and more. He reminded her in a way of Maxwell-he could charm the birds off the trees, and he was handsome and well spoken, but like Maxwell there was a coldness in his eyes and voice that made her shiver. Twice she had caught him looking at her in a way that made her blood run cold. She knew he didn't dare hurt her-all the Lords knew to stay well away from her unless they wanted to face the wrath of Stayne-but that hadn't stopped her from being thoroughly spooked. On the other hand, she reflected, she, Stayne, and Lady Amanda Sotherby got along like a house on fire. Lady Sotherby was twenty eight, with dark blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She and her husband had only been at Marmoreal for five months, but she had already made herself at home. Her husband, though-he was not the sort of man that welcomed friendships easily.

She was still mulling over those thoughts when the girl came to a halt in front of a door, and knocked quietly. A weakened voice answered. "Is that you, Ellie?"

The girl-Ellie-gulped before answering. "Yes Milady. I fetched the Lady Stayne as you asked me to."

"Come in, please" the weak voice rasped.

Ellie opened the door, and Alannah walked into the room and gasped harshly at the sight before her eyes. Lady Sotherby was lying in bed, and even in the dimness of the room Alannah could tell that her arms and chest were covered with cuts and bruises. She had a large cut over one eye, and the other was swollen shut, the flesh around it black and puffy. Alannah growled in soft rage and walked quickly over to the bed.

"Might I ask how you came to look like you just went three rounds with the Bandersnatch?"

Lady Sotherby paled in fear and anger. "That is not your business! I….had an accident last night, that's all."

Alannah nodded, and then spoke drily. "What did you do, fall on a pitchfork in the stalls?"

Lady Sotherby trembled, and Alannah sighed. "Amanda, did your husband do this to you?" Lady Sotherby looked out the window, her body stiff with fear, and Alannah placed her hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. "Amanda, I am asking you as your friend, and as Court Healer. Was this caused by your husband?"

Lady Sotherby crumpled, and she began to cry in hoarse, braying sobs. Alannah climbed into bed and held her, whispering soft words of comfort as she sobbed. After a bit, she pulled away and wiped her eyes, gazing pleadingly at Alannah. "I don't know what to do anymore. He's become a monster. I try to stay out of his way as much as possible, but last night-I don't even remember what I did to anger him, but the next thing I know he's hitting me, and I remember trying to get away from him, but he came after me, and yanked on my hair so hard I thought he would rip it out. Then…I think he dragged me in here and...And…" she wailed in fear, and Alannah felt her blood boiling in rage. She had a pretty good idea of what Sotherby had done.

"Amanda, listen to me. I might have a way for you to be free of his abuse forever, but you are going to have to do exactly what I tell you. Can you do that?"

Lady Sotherby nodded, and Alannah smiled. "Good. First things first-drink this." She handed over the bottle of healing potion, and Lady Sotherby uncorked it and drained it dry. She handed it back to Alannah with a slight smile. "Well done. Now, when is your husband due home?"

"In a few hours. He is spending the night in Witzend with some friends of his. Why?"

Alannah grinned wickedly. "More than enough time. When he gets home, tell him that I want to see him, and that it's urgent."

"What if he doesn't believe me?"

Alannah stared at her, a serious expression on her face. "Then make him. I don't care what you have to do or say, just get him to the Kitchens."

Amanda nodded, and Alannah gave her a gentle hug before walking out of the room, heading straight for the kitchen, banging the doors open and startling Thackery awake. He rubbed his eyes and glared balefully at her. "What are ye doing here so early, Lady Alannah?"

Alannah sighed grimly. "I need to concoct a sleeping draught. Do you have the ingredients?" Thackery nodded, pointing to a cupboard, and Alannah ran over and began pulling out the ingredients she needed. Thackery watched, slightly bemused, as she began to concoct. Suddenly, she stopped, frowning in thought, and then smiled evilly. "Thackery, you wouldn't happen to have a pen and some paper lying about, would you?"

Thackery nodded quickly. "Indeed I would! You just wait there! I'll get you some right away!" He ran off, returning moments later with a sheet of paper and a pen. Alannah took them, and spent a few moments writing, then handed it to him. "Could you deliver this to Ilosivic?" He nodded, and took off running. Alannah chuckled quietly and returned to her work.

Meanwhile, Stayne was busy trying to feed Katarina and Michael. They had both insisted on tarts for breakfast, and refused to entertain the thought of anything else. Stayne, who hadn't been too fond of tarts ever since his Trial, found that all his protests and suggestions of a different breakfast were being met with sullen silences. Finally, he had thrown his hands up in exasperation and begun to make the tarts. He reflected ruefully that if Alannah were here she'd no doubt be laughing herself silly at his frustration.

He had just popped the tarts in the oven when a knock sounded at the door. Katarina went to answer it, and squealed in delight. "Thackery! Hi! What are you doing here? Do you want some tarts? Daddy just put some in the oven!"

"Nae, lassie, although I thank ye for the offer. I have a letter from your Momma to give to your Daddy."

Stayne wiped off his flour covered hands as best he could and headed out of the kitchen. "You have a letter for me?" Thackery nodded, and handed it over.

_Ilosivic-_

_I need your help with something. Come to the kitchens alone and I'll explain everything. Also, see if Alice can keep an eye on Katarina and Michael for a few hours. _

_Alannah. _

Alannah looked up from her brewing as a shadow fell across the table, and she smiled softly. "Hello, Ilosivic."

Stayne chuckled, and came to stand next to her. "You know, that is rather uncanny. What are you brewing, another passion potion?"

She shook her head. "No. A sleeping draught for Lord Sotherby."

Stayne blinked in confusion. "Is he having trouble sleeping?"

Alannah grinned evilly. "No."

"Then why…?"

Alannah took a breath, and told him of the events of that morning. "And the worst of it is, I'm pretty certain that this is not an isolated incident. I'm pretty good at recognizing healed wounds and scars, and Amanda had quite a few of them. So I want to make sure that slurvish husband of hers never has a chance to give her any new ones. Want to help?"

Stayne nodded eagerly, and then turned at the sound of footsteps. "Lord Sotherby! So good to see you." His voice was deadly soft, and Alannah felt herself tremble inwardly. She knew that when Stayne spoke in that voice of deceptive calm and control that he was completely infuriated. Lord Sotherby didn't, though. He stared at Stayne in slight contempt, and then looked at Alannah.

"My wife said you needed to see me?"

Alannah smiled. "Yes. She and I were talking the other day, and it came up that you were trying to…well, conceive. I told her that I would be willing to make a potion that would help. I gave Amanda her dosage earlier, and I have yours all ready. Here." She handed him the sleeping draught. "Drink it all."

She watched in barely suppressed eagerness as Lord Sotherby drained the vial dry. He placed the vial on the counter, and then turned to walk out the door. He made it two steps before collapsing.

Alannah knelt beside him, a grim smile on her face. "Good night." She turned to Stayne. "He's all yours."

Stayne smiled wolfishly, then grabbed Sotherby's shoulders and dragged him out of the kitchen, heading straight for the Barracks. Alannah followed eyes bright with anticipation.

Stayne dragged the unresponsive Sotherby inside, then into a small, windowless room that served as storage, dropping him uncaringly to the floor. He knelt down and pushed and pulled him into a semi-upright position. "Alannah, go find me some rope I can use to tie his hands and feet." She ran off, returning a few moments later with a large coil of rope, and handed it to him with a wicked smile. "Thank you, love." He trussed up Lord Sotherby, then took a deep breath and slapped him hard. "OI! Wake up, you slurvish arse! Time to pay the piper!"

Lord Sotherby came awake fast, struggling wildly against his bonds. "What is the meaning of this? I demand that you release me at once! At once, do you hear?"

Stayne gave him a grin that made him go parchment white with terror. When he spoke, his voice was so calm and deadly cold that Alannah swore the temperature of the room had dropped twenty degrees.

"Sotherby, I have met many undesirable people in my time. Hell, I was forced to be the lackey of the bloody Red Queen for many years. But you….you are beyond anyone I've known. Alannah has told me about the deplorable way you treat your wife. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am a ruthless assassin. I have taken lives, and under the Rule of Iracebeth I committed many acts that I am not proud of. But…and this is vitally important…I never hurt a woman. That is the one line I never crossed." He smiled sardonically as Sotherby struggled madly against his bonds. "Don't try to escape; I have you tied far too tightly for that. The more you struggle, the tighter the ropes become. You see, I have some very interesting things planned for you, and I don't want you escaping before I'm done."

Lord Sotherby had been gaping at Stayne in rage, and he finally found his voice. "How dare you try to lecture me! Amanda is my property; I will do with her as I please!"

Alannah growled in rage. "Did you just call your wife your property? You slurvish bastard!" She launched herself at him, fingers hooked into claws, and Stayne grabbed her around the waist, speaking calmly. "Leave him to me, baby. I'll take care of it. Let me work my magic."

Alannah pouted. "Fine, but you had better make my not tearing him to pieces worth it!"

Stayne grinned evilly. "I will, don't worry about that." He glared at Lord Sotherby, who gulped in fear. "Of course, by the time I'm finished with him, he may wish you had torn him to pieces. This could get bloody, so if you need to leave, do it now."

Alannah stared grimly at Sotherby. "I'm not going anywhere. Amanda is my friend, and I would love nothing more than to see the man that hurt her receive a taste of his own medicine. Spill all the blood you want."

Stayne grinned happily, then drew his dagger and placed the tip of it inches from Sotherby's right eye. Sotherby gave a squawk of fear, and Stayne grinned. "Hold perfectly still, or my hand might slip and send this blade into your eye."

Sotherby stiffened in horror as Stayne slowly ran the dagger down to his cheek, stabbing lightly. A ribbon of blood began flowing form Sotherby's right cheek, and Stayne sighed in pretend dismay. "I said hold perfectly still. You must have flinched. Oh well, perhaps that little slip will be the only one you make. But somehow I doubt it."

He placed the dagger under Sotherby's ear, and drew the sharp blade slowly across the lobe, grinning darkly at his scream of pain. He removed the dagger, and Sotherby continued screaming. Stayne sighed in annoyance.

"Oh, do shut up! That little cut was nothing compared to what you have coming. Alannah, please gag him. He's giving me a headache."

Alannah came forward with a hank of rope and gagged him firmly. He screamed into the rope, but his cry was muffled. "There. Now you're nice and quiet. Ilosivic, please continue."

"Thank you. Now, Sotherby, before I proceed I want to assure you of one thing. I'm not going to kill you." Alannah and Sotherby looked at him with equal expressions of disbelief on their faces. Stayne chuckled darkly. "However, I am going to assure that you can never hurt Amanda or any other woman ever again. Give me your hands."

Sotherby tried to hide his hands, but they had been tied in front of him, and it was impossible. Stayne sighed in exasperation and grabbed the rope, yanking him upwards. He dragged him over to a small table that stood in the far right corner of the room and slammed his hands, palms up, onto the hard surface. Sotherby struggled wildly, but Stayne held him in an iron grip. "Alannah, hold his hands down, please." She came forward and pinned his hands to the table.

After Sotherby's hands were tightly pinned down, Stayne went to work. First, he made shallow cuts across the tips of each finger, and then he moved down to the palms and slashed deeply. Sotherby howled against his gag and struggled madly. Stayne growled. "Hold him still!"

Alannah threw all her weight into pinning Sotherby, and finally his struggles quieted. Stayne smiled at her. "Good job." He flipped Sotherby's hands over so they lay palms down, and then slammed them hard onto the table, smiling grimly as he heard the unmistakable sound of bones breaking. Sotherby howled in pure agony. Blood flowed from his palms, and his fingers were pointing in all directions. His eyes rolled around in his head wildly, the whites showing. Stayne glared at him pitilessly, and then severed the tendons in his left hand with one swift and practiced motion. Blood spurted, and Sotherby's howls reached levels that could have shattered glass. Stayne repeated the action with his right hand, and Sotherby passed out from a combination of pain and terror. Stayne smacked him in the face with the flat of the dagger. "No going to sleep. I'm not quite done with you yet. There are still a few more things that I have to do. Don't worry; it will all be over soon." He spoke in a mock soothing voice, and Sotherby gibbered in panic.

Alannah watched in grim satisfaction as Stayne grabbed Sotherby's rope, flipping him over so he was face-up, and then slammed him hard onto the table. He sliced open his shirt, placed the dagger above his right breast, and then began to methodically carve into the flesh.

Sotherby flopped like a fish, and Alannah pinned his shoulders to the table, reading with wicked glee what Stayne was carving into Sotherby's chest.

**C**

**O**

**W**

**A**

**R**

**D**

After he finished carving the last letter, Stayne stepped back and viewed Sotherby's bloody chest with a discerning eye. "That looks quite satisfactory to me. Alannah, what do you think? Will it be permanent?"

Alannah examined the wound critically. "I do believe it will, Ilosivic. Nice carving job."

Stayne bowed at the waist. "Thank you Milady love. Now, I have a question for you. Do you think this slurvish bastard has learned his lesson? Or do I perhaps need to carve it on his forehead as well?" He placed the bloody dagger against Sotherby's forehead, and looked inquiringly at Alannah.

She glared at Sotherby in flat hate, and he looked back at her, eyes wide with panic. A gibbering sound escaped his gag, and he violently shook his head back and forth. Unfortunately, his wild movements caused him to cut himself on the dagger that was still pressed tightly against his forehead. Alannah spoke grimly.

"He's learned his lesson, I think. Haven't you, Sotherby?"

Sotherby nodded wildly, and Alannah grinned wickedly. "That's very good to hear. You'll be going back to your chambers soon, don't worry. But there are a few things that you have to know. One, your hands are completely useless. You might, and I stress might, be able to pick up a spoon to feed yourself, but that's about it. Two, don't try to run to Mirana crying torture. She's rather canny, and she knows Ilosivic doesn't mete out punishment unless someone he cares for has been hurt badly. You see, we both consider your wife a good friend, and when a friend of ours is hurt-we show the one that hurt them no mercy. Now, have you got all that? Nod if you have."

Sotherby nodded so quickly Alannah thought for a moment that his head would go flying off his neck. "Excellent. Ilosivic, shall we convey him to his chambers?"

Stayne wiped his bloody dagger on his trousers and grinned at Alannah. "Indeed we should. Grab his shoulders, I'll get his feet."

They carried him to his chambers, depositing him in a heap on the floor. Amanda watched from the bed, smiling grimly. Alannah looked over at her, and a wordless communication passed between the two women. Amanda smiled in gratitude. "Thank you," she said quietly. Alannah nodded then she and Stayne exited the rooms.

After they had left, Amanda climbed out of bed and limped over to where her husband lay bound and gagged. She knelt next to him, a grim smile of satisfaction on her face. "I only wish they had hurt you more! But don't worry, husband dear, I'm going to take…very good care of you." She smiled madly, and Sotherby whimpered, tears running down his face.

Three weeks later, the Court was abuzz at the changed nature of Lord Aaron Sotherby. Rumor was that he had been in an accident that mangled his hands. They dangled uselessly from his wrists, dead and slightly misshapen. He had to depend on his wife for even the smallest of tasks.

Stayne and Alannah were quite happy with the way things had worked out.


	2. Chapter 2 Author's Note

Author's Note for Lex Talionis

I know it's against the Rules to have Author's notes as chapters, but I have some things I have to say.

This story was hard for me to write because it does fall out of what is usually termed as my "Comfort Zone." But I wanted to see if I could do it, and once I get an idea into my head I have to get it out and onto the computer otherwise it will gnaw at me and bother me until Doomsday.

**I am in NO WAY attacking those people that write Stayne differently than I do. I am in NO WAY saying in this tale that the way they write Stayne is wrong-it's called FAN-fiction for a reason. **

Each fan has their own way of viewing and writing Stayne, and no one way is more correct than any other. Now, if someone wrote a fic that turned Stayne into a tie dye wearing hippie that went around giving everyone flowers and skipping through a meadow, I'd be a little dubious. (Not to mention that I'd wonder how Stayne became a hippie in the first place. :P

If I mistakenly offended anyone, I do apologize, as it was certainly not my intent. But this was a story that I simply had to write.

Ranguvar


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